October already?!

It's hard to believe that October is already here!  I've been meaning to jump back in on the Happy Homemaker Monday posts but just haven't seemed to have the time.  Hopefully, in the next couple weeks I'll be able to do a few before the holidays start up!

The last few weeks have been filled full!  We celebrated another family birthday, had the annual Beach BBQ & Baptism with our church, spent time with family who were visiting from out of state and started all the fall activities up again.  

One of the fall activities we are involved in is the AWANA program at church.  I help out with the 3rd graders and this year our youngest started Sparks (K-2).  She was SO excited to earn her vest and book by saying John 3:16. 

 If you're not familiar with AWANA it's a great kids program that teaches Biblical truths while focusing a lot on Scripture memorization.  The older kids have youth group, PTO for the school has begun and clubs at the high school are also getting back into full swing. So, all that to say, we are good and life is FULL right now. 

One fun thing is that the deer we spotted in our yard have returned a few times now. I was able to get another picture of them yesterday.  There is a shrub along the edge of our yard that they really love to eat; thankfully they do not care for the blueberry bush leaves or lilacs so I'm happy to let them roam and eat the wild shrubbery. 

Oh!  and I also finally started working on my daughters graphgan.  This one is definitely going to be a process but I'm already liking the results from the small amount I've been able to get done.  

One last thing, our oldest girl is away at college (and loving it!); while there she is attending a church in town that only has acappella music in their services.  The song below is one of her favorites and a new-to-me song so I thought I would share.  I love all types of music but don't listen to a lot of acappella music.  I really enjoyed the beautiful harmony of voices.  Enjoy!

Happy Homemaker Monday 9/11/23

Joining in this week's Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom.  Another Monday!  Hard to believe that the middle of September is almost here. 

The Weather:

Cloudy and wet.  Rain is predicted for most of this week.  With Hurricane Lee forcasted to come up the East Coast it'll be interesting to see just how much rain we do get.

Outside my Window:

It's green and wet. 

Right Now I am:

Blogging, getting a slow start to today; I was able to schedule flu shots for the kids so that's one thing accomplished so far.

Thinking and Pondering:

So thankful for encouraging and refining Christian friendships; a close friend is moving soon as her  pastor-husband has been called to a church in another area of the country. Praising God for His clear leading but also feeling bittersweet about them moving so far away. 

Podcasts I'm listening to this week:

Tony Evans: The Urban Alternative - I learn so much from listening to Dr. Evans.  The ones I recently listened to were Titled: Trusting the God you Believe In.

On my T.V this week:

Not sure.  We did watch some of the NFL opening week games yesterday.  I grew up watching football and still enjoy watching it now and then.

On the Dinner Plate:

Tortellini & Sausage soup

On the Menu this week:

I don't have a set menu but I do know that I want to make the following meals:

Tortellini & Sausage soup

Beef Stew

Chicken Caesar salad.

What I'm Reading:

Bible

A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom, Including their own Narratives of Emancipation

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by JoAnna Weaver

On my To-Do list today:

Finish Laundry

Clean up from weekend

Make flu shot appts. ✓

Get together with friends

Plans for this week:

Keep up with housework.

Deep Clean laundry room

Clean Fridge

Get together with friends 2x

Take daughter for hair appt.

What I'm Creating:

I want to finish up a hook board that I started some time ago. I'm hoping to hang it in the kitchen for aprons.  Also hoping to start the graphgan since the weather is supposed to be a bit cooler this week.

From the Camera:

Nothing too exciting but we did have more wildlife happenings here.  We have a group of turkeys that regularly trek through our yard; however this was the first time we saw one up on our car! 

 

Highlight from Last week:

A wonderful phone conversation I had with our oldest.  Just really encouraging. 

 

Bible Verse/Devotional Quote:

Another thought from Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:

"Are we willing to let God explode our comfort zone and expand our capacity for him? Or do we want a God we can manage?  Unfortunately, a lot of the time that is exactly what we want -- enough of God to make us happy, but not enough to make us change."

On My Prayer List:

Family & Friends who are ill

Kids away at college and kiddos here this school year.

Wisdom for parenting.

Happy Homemaker Monday 9/5/23

 Joining in this week's Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom.  I know it's not Monday but since yesterday was a holiday here I figured it would still "count" for this week. :)  It has been extremely busy this past month with two road trips to drop our oldest two off at their respective colleges.  Praising God that they are settling in well and praying for His continued guidance and protection on them.  We flew home on a Sunday and our younger four started school on that Wednesday so with all that and a holiday weekend today is the first time I have a chance to sit and blog.

The Weather:

Today is sunny and hot.  It is supposed to be in the high 80's and 90's this week.

Outside my Window:

The sun is shining brightly today.

Right Now I am:

Blogging, waiting for bread to come out of the oven and enjoying the quiet before the kids start coming home in a bit.

Thinking and Pondering:

So much on my mind today; struggling to keep every thought captive and to trust God's wisdom and sovereignty in all things. 

Podcasts I'm listening to this week:

Nothing this week. I'm enjoying some classical Christian music as I'm needing less words this week.

On my T.V this week:

Nothing so far; we'll probably watch Ahsoka as a family once the new episode is released.

On the Dinner Plate:

Chicken wings (leftover from Chinese takeout), sauteed swiss chard and brown rice

On the Menu this week:

I don't have a set menu so I'll just wing it with ingredients we have to use up the fresh veggies in the fridge.

What I'm Reading:

Bible

A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom, Including their own Narratives of Emancipation

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by JoAnna Weaver

On my To-Do list today:

Finish Laundry

Clean up from weekend ✓

Bake Bread ✓

Get Poshmark listings ready/take pictures✓

School open house/Help PTO

Plans for this week:

Keep up with housework.

Get listings up on Poshmark

School Open Houses

Celebrate a family birthday

What I'm Creating:

I finished a scrubby washcloth (it's in the wash now so no picture).  I bought the yarn and set up the chart for a graphgan for one of my daughters but with the weather so hot this week I'm not sure I'll get it started.

From the Camera:

A couple fun things happened that I'll share.  We live in a pretty developed area so we see quite a bit of smaller wildlife (rabbits, groundhogs, foxes, etc) but rarely see larger wildlife in our yard.  The other day our youngest said "mom, come here quick!" These three little guys (all still with spots) were in our yard.  They stayed for about 15 minutes grazing and enjoying the yard.  I'm hoping they'll be back. 

Since yesterday was Labor Day we decided to go for a hike.  With the rainy summer we had and busyness of life we hadn't been able to hike yet this year.  Our youngest didn't think she could make it but she did!  She was so excited when we got to the top and loved the view.  

 

Highlight from Last week:

We celebrated a friend's 50th birthday party on Saturday.  We don't get to see them often as they live several hours away so it was a great time catching up with them and seeing other friends (who hosted the party) that we also don't get to see often.

 

Bible Verse/Devotional Quote:

 I have been reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and trying to remember to "drop the rocks" of things I am not meant to carry.  If you don't have this book I'd encourage you to read the illustration story of the Wagon of Rocks; it's been such a good reminder to me. I actually made a background for my phone with the words Drop the Rocks El Roi to remind me that it's okay to drop those rocks because God is a God Who sees me (El Roi) and He's got it.

On My Prayer List:

Family & Friends who are ill

Kids away at college and kiddos here starting the school year.

Wisdom for parenting.

Happy Homemaker Monday 8/7/23

 Joining in this week's Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom.  Still very busy here but have a few minutes.  Today is our youngest daughter's birthday.  We had a lovely weekend celebrating her with her friends.  She's very excited to be starting 1st grade in a few weeks.

The Weather:

Rainy and cloudy today.  It looks like tomorrow may be the same.  We were fortunate to have a beautiful weekend so I'll take the rain on this Monday morning.

Outside my Window:

The crab apple tree is full of fruit.  They usually are fully ripe in September.  I'm hoping to harvest many of them and make some spiced crab apple jelly.  I made some a couple years ago and it was a hit.

Right Now I am:

Blogging and relaxing a bit on this slower day.

Thinking and Pondering:

Trying to figure out logistics for getting things done this week.  Also, praying for wisdom and a right attitude about some things.

Podcasts I'm listening to this week:

  Inside the Pastors' Study 

Also listening to Cultivate by Kelly Minter - really  being challenged by these and so thankful for her practical steps. 

On my T.V this week:

Finally got my daughter to watch the Anne movies; will probably watch Anne of Avonlea with her at some point this week.

On the Dinner Plate:

Chicken Parm

On the Menu this week:

Making some of the kids favorites before they leave for college so we'll have Swedish meatballs, Spinach Pie and the aforementioned Chicken Parm

What I'm Reading:

Bible

Widerlore by Amanda Foody - one of my kids begged me to read this since they really enjoyed it.  I'm about a 1/3 through and not really liking it (I just don't think she's a good writer, but recognize that she's writing to younger kids).

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by JoAnna Weaver

On my To-Do list today:

Laundry

Clean up from weekend

Plans for this week:

Keep up with housework.

Continue helping kids with college prep

What I'm Creating:

Not a lot of time for crafting this past week.  I did make cupcakes for my daughter's birthday party.

From the Camera:

On Saturday we tried out a new-to-us rail trail about 1/2 hour away.  Our youngest was able to ride her bike the entire distance we rode. She was so excited!  She was also very thankful to have dad riding with her and helping her up some of the more hilly parts.

 

Highlight from Last week:

It was so much fun celebrating our youngest with friends. 

 

Bible Verse/Devotional Quote:

As I read this verse I was reminded of how important it is for us, as believers to support each other so that each member of the body can function well.  The singers, seers, and gatekeepers were all able to continue in their service and fulfill their God given purpose in part because the Levites prepared for them.  In this passage it was discussing preparations for the Passover.  

 

On My Prayer List:

Family & Friends who are ill

Kids preparing to go away to college

Logistics of other kids staying with family members. 

Wisdom for parenting.

Happy Homemaker Monday 7/31/23

 Joining in this week's Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom. 

The Weather:

Today is gorgeous out, sunny and in the 70's.  The humidity has finally broken a bit; at least for a couple days. We had really bad smoke from the Canadian fires come through last night but thankfully it has cleared up this morning.

Outside my Window:

Sunny & green. 

Right Now I am:

Blogging, chatting with my youngest girlie. Waiting for coffee to finish brewing and bread dough to finish rising.

Thinking and Pondering:

Oh...so much; from what needs to be done in the next few weeks to how this week will go.

Podcasts I'm listening to this week:

Finally caught up on  Inside the Pastors' Study 

Also listening to Cultivate by Kelly Minter

My kids also enjoy Adventures of the Starkeepers from Elevation Church. 

On my T.V this week:

Nothing really.

On the Dinner Plate:

We had a pig roast at church yesterday so I will be using some of the leftovers to make something for dinner.

On the Menu this week:

Haven't really done a menu for this week but we will be having Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie one night since I didn't make that last week.

What I'm Reading:

Bible

Imprisoned with Isis by Petr Jasek - His memoir of being in a Sudanese prison for over a year.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by JoAnna Weaver

On my To-Do list today:

Laundry

Target run

Bake Bread ( regular and plantain bread)

Plans for this week:

Keep up with housework.

Deep Clean the younger girl's room with them. 

Drop off two kids at a local amusement park for a Youth Group Event

Get a couple of the kids ready and headed on a camping trip with friends this weekend.

Continue helping kids with college prep

What I'm Creating:

Not a lot of time for crafting this past week.  I did work on a washcloth a bit that I'm making with some scrubby yarn.  

From the Camera:

We had promised our two older kids a night out in Boston to celebrate milestone birthdays.  We had bought tickets in 2019 for a comedy show that ended up not happening, first it was delayed and then cancelled altogether.  The other night we were finally able to take them out.  It was a fun evening for the four of us and a bit extra special since they will both be leaving in a couple weeks. 

Highlight from Last week:

The night out with our two oldest was definitely a highlight.  We also met up with friends last Tuesday to go to a zoo and then spend some time at the beach.  Due to so much rain we hadn't been to the beach at all this summer.  The fellowship with friends and gorgeous weather made it a great time. 

Bible Verse/Devotional Quote:

 The third chapter in Having A Mary Heart in A Martha World focuses on the words of Jesus to Martha about being "anxious about many things".  The following quotes are a couple I underlined.  

"Worry is allowing problems and distress to come between us and the heart of God.  It is the view that God has somehow lost control of the situation and we cannot trust Him."

"Concern draws us to God.  Worry pulls us from him."

"That's the reason we can leave our worry behind -- not because there's nothing to be concerned about, but because we have Someone who can handle them a lot better than we can."

On My Prayer List:

Family & Friends who are ill

Kids preparing to go away to college

Logistics of other kids staying with family members. 

Wisdom for parenting.

Happy Homemaker Monday 7/24/23

 Joining in this week's Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom.  The past few weeks have been a whirlwind around here and will continue to be for the next month or so.  We went from possibly having one child headed to college this fall to having both our oldest children headed to two different colleges a week apart.  So, a lot of big changes around here.

The Weather:

Today is gorgeous out, sunny and in the 80's.  The humidity has finally broken a bit; at least for a couple days.

Outside my Window:

Sunny & green.  The bunnies and groundhogs have been very active today.  We have a mulberry tree and the fallen berries attract many little critters.

Right Now I am:

Blogging, chatting with my oldest girlie.

Thinking and Pondering:

Oh...so much; from what needs to be done in the next few weeks to how this week will go.

Podcasts I'm listening to this week:

Hoping to catch up on Inside the Pastors' Study 

Also listening to Cultivate by Kelly Minter

My kids also enjoy Adventures of the Starkeepers from Elevation Church. 

On my T.V this week:

Nothing really.

On the Dinner Plate:

Baked fish & chips with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert

On the Menu this week:

Big Mac Salad

Chicken Cesaer Salad

Baked Sweet Potatoes & Chicken

Tater Tot Shepherd's Pie

Brown Rice Salad

What I'm Reading:

Bible

The Shift by Maryanne Connor

The Queen of the Night by Vanessa Thurgood

On my To-Do list today:

Laundry

Grocery Shopping ✅

Plans for this week:

Keep up with laundry.

Take the kids on a daytrip

Host Youth Group

Continue helping kids with college prep

What I'm Creating:

I finished my crochet tunic!  Check out the pictures and details in my blog post It's Done! Crochet Edition

From the Camera:

Last week we took a daytrip to an aquarium a couple hours away. We really like this aquarium because there are indoor and outdoor exhibits. The kids really enjoyed the sea lion show.  

Highlight from Last week:

This past week was Vacation Bible School at our church.  It's always a lot of fun to see all the kids having such a great time learning Truths from God's Word. 

Bible Verse/Devotional Quote:

 

This verse is such an encouragement.  We may not know what our future holds but God does and His plans are wonderful, faithful and sure.

On My Prayer List:

Family & Friends who are ill

Kids preparing to go away to college

Logistics of other kids staying with family members. 

Wisdom for parenting.

It's done! - Crochet edition

 Many of my readers will remember me mentioning a crochet tunic top that I've been working on.  I finally finished the top; however, because I'm very short it fits more like a regular tunic than a top.  I do really like the fit.  The colors are not what I normally wear as I usually go for darker colors.  I actually bought this yarn to push me out of my "color comfort zone" so I'm still planning to wear it once the weather cools a bit.  

 I started using this free pattern but found that it wasn't working up well for me.  It seemed that there were some instructions missing so I sat down and rewrote it a bit.  Some things, as far as the edging and connecting the squares, I just made up as I went.  The keyhole neck was a last minute decision as the front was a bit lower that I wanted. 

In my last post I mentioned that this week is Vacation Bible School at our church; as I end I thought I'd share another praise/prayer from the teacher devotionals.  

King of glory, Divine Majesty,

every perfection adorns thy nature and sustains thy throne;

The heavens and earth are thine,

The world is thine and its fullness,

Thy power created the universe from nothing;

Thy wisdom has managed all its multiple concerns,

presiding over nations, families, individuals.

Thy goodness is boundless; 

all creatures wait on thee,

are satisfied in thee.

How precious are the thoughts of thy mercy and grace!

How excellent thy lovingkindness that draws men to thee!

We are weary, give us rest,

knowing that thou hast said,

'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

Blessed be thy name!

-(Excerpt from "Fourth Day Evening: God All-Sufficient" from The Valley of Vision)